Cassava pita bread: a real pocket, puffed hot and fast

A pita is really just a thin dough baked hot enough that the steam trapped inside forces it to puff into two layers with a pocket between them. Cassava flour, which behaves closer to wheat flour than any other grain-free option, is what makes that puff possible here.

This one is yeast-risen rather than the quick soda-leavened doughs elsewhere in this collection, which gives it a softer, more pliable texture, closer to bread than to a cracker or a tortilla. Pure active dry yeast and honey are both fine during the elimination phase, so this one needs no swaps at all.

The pocket is the whole point. Stuff it, tear it for scooping, or split it open for a sandwich built on something with real structure.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1.5 cups warm water (about 100 F)
• 1 tbsp honey (or 100% maple syrup)
• 2 tbsp avocado oil, plus more for the pan
• 2 cups cassava flour
• 1 tsp sea salt

Method

Stir the yeast and honey into the warm water and let it sit 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy on top. If it does not foam, the water was too hot or the yeast has gone flat; start again.

Stir the cassava flour and salt into the yeast mixture along with the avocado oil, mixing until you have a soft, claylike dough. Let it rest, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 portions. Roll each one thin, about 1/8 inch, between two sheets of parchment.

Heat a dry cast iron skillet or griddle until very hot. Cook each round 1 to 2 minutes per side; a properly hot pan is what makes the pocket form, so do not rush this step or crowd the pan.

Stack the finished pitas under a clean kitchen towel as you go; the trapped steam keeps them soft.

How to use it

• Split open and stuffed with shredded chicken and vegetables
• Torn and used to scoop a dip like Meltable dairy-free cheese or AIP nomato marinara
• Warmed and served alongside a bowl of soup

Storage

Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a dry skillet to restore softness. Freezes well between sheets of parchment.

*Adapted from predominantlypaleo.com by Jennifer Robins*